Depth finder



10, 1954 I G. JOHNSON 2,685,742

DEPTH FINDER Filed July 3, 1952 2Sheets-Sheet 1 Leonard G- Johnson INVENTOR.

BY @m Aug. 10, 1954 L. e. JOHNSON DEPTH FINDER 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed July 3, 1952 F ig. 2

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JNVENTOR. Z0532.

ll/ll/I/l/l/l/l/l/IA Patented Aug. 10, 1954 UNITED mean STATES ATENT OFFICE 1 Claim. (Cl. 33-1265) This invention relates to new and useful improvements in depth finders and the primary ob ject of the present invention is to provide a small and compact depth finding device that may be carried in a fishing kit for use in determining fishing holes and the like in a convenient manner.

Another important object of the present invention is to provide a depth finder including a lineholding spool whose shaft journally supports a peripherally graduated disc that will rotate as its operating mechanism is actuated by spaced lugs on a line about the spool to indicate the amount of line played off the spool and hence the depth of a body of water into which the line is dropped. v

A further object of the present invention is to provide a depth finder of the aforementioned character involving a casing having three compartments, one of which houses the spool, another of which houses the drive mechanism for the spool and the remaining of which houses the disc actuating mechanism.

A still further aim of the present invention is to provide a depth finder that is extremely simple and practical in construction, strong and reliable in use, efficient and durable in operation, inexpensive to manufacture, and otherwise well adapted for the purposes for which the same is intended.

Other objects and advantages reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, references being had to the accompanying drawings forming part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary perspective view showing the invention in use;

Figure 2 is an enlarged vertical sectional view taken substantially on the plane of section line 2-2 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a vertical sectional view taken substantially on the plane of section line 3-3 of Figure 2;

Figure 4 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view taken substantially on the plane of section line l-4 of Figure 2;

Figure 5 is an edge view of the depth indicating disc used in the invention;

Figure 5 is a fragmentary plan view of Figure 1; and,

Figure 7 is a group perspective view of the finding cord and stop lug used therewith.

Referring now to the drawings in detail,

wherein for the purpose of illustration, there is disclosed a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the numeral ID represents a casing having a rounded upper wall i 2, a fiat bottom wall it and spaced side walls i6 and it. The upper wall 52 is formed at its ends with end walls 26 and 22 that connect the side walls to each other and to the bottom wall.

Bottom wall It is formed with a central opening 24 over which there is supported a vertical guide funnel or tube 26 having supporting brackets 28 that are attached to vertical partitions $56 and 32. The upper and lower ends of the partitions are secured against the upper and lower walls 52 and M, and the vertical edges of the partitions are secured to the walls 25! and 22 to form an intermediate compartment 3t between the partitions and a pair of side compartments 3% and 33 between the side walls it, it and the partitions 3E} and 32.

A spool id is located in the compartment 34 and includes a supporting shaft :52 that extends through apertures in the partitions as and 32. One end of shaft 42 extends through the side wall ['6 and carries a finger grip dd, whereby the spool may be held against rotation.

The partition 3t and the wall it rotatably support a short shaft 46 upon which there is fixed a gear 48 that meshes with a gear 59 on shaft 42. Both gears 18 and 5e are located within compartment 3%. A hand grip 52 is secured to the outer end of shaft it to form a means whereby the spool may be rotated.

Bearings 54 and 56 are fitted in apertures in the partitions 3d and 32, and the bearings rotatably support a shaft 58. The end of shaft 58 that extends into compartment 33 supports a pinion at that meshes with the internally toothed peripheral flange 52 of a disk 5 Graduations 56 are provided on the outer face of flange 52 for selectively registering with an opening 63 in the top wall I2.

Shaft 53 extends horizontally through a slot if) in the funnel 26 below the upper outwardly flared end of the funnel. A spider member or ratchet 12 is secured to shaft 58 and extends into the funnel through slot it to be engaged by spaced lugs it secured to a line it wound about the spool.

A Ushaped handle 78 is fixed to the outer surface of the casing it so that the opening de fined by the handle may accommodate the first and middle fingers of a users hand, the users thumb will rest upon the upper leg of the handle F8 and the users ring finger and little finger will be disposed below the lower leg of the handle.

In practical use of the invention, as the sinker 89 and line 75 are dropped the lugs '14 will sequentially engage spider member 12 to rotate the same and also pinion 69, The pinion being in mesh with the ring gear 82 will drive the latter to bring the graduation 1 6 in registry with the opening 98, thereby indicating the depth of the sinker. The line may be rewound on the spool as the handle 52 is manually rotated.

A spring pawl 82 is secured as at 84 to the partition wall 32 and engages the teeth of ring gear 62 to permit controlled rotation of the ring gear in a smooth manner.

Having described the claimed as new is:

A depth finder comprising a casing having a bottom wall with an opening and a pair of vertical partitions dividing the easing into a central compartment and a pair of side compartments, a shaft extending through and rotatably supported by said partitions, a spool keyed on the shaft, a line wound on the spool and hav ing spaced lugs thereon, a peripherally graduated disc journaled on the shaft and disposed in one of the side compartments, a hand grip rotatable on the casing, gearing in the other side compartment operatively connecting the hand grip to the shaft to permit rotation of the spool invention, what is by the hand grip, a funnel supported on the bottom wall over the opening and under the spool, a second shaft rotatably supported by the partitions and paralleling the first named shaft, means operatively connecting the second shaft to the disc for rotation of the latter With the former, said funnel having a slot receiving the second shaft, and a spider member fixed on the second shaft and disposed within the slot to be engaged by the spaced lugs on said line extending from the spool and through the funnel.

References Gited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 15,131 eaton Nov. 22, 186 197,809 Schrom Dec. 4, 187? 900,351 Brown d. Oct. 6, 1908 968,034 Du Shane Aug. 23, 1910 1,123,545 Johnson Jan. 5, 1915 1,533,981 Fickert Apr, 14, 1925 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 6,884 Great Britain 1895 116,021 Sweden Mar. 12, 1946 

